Over the Christmas period, Netflix released Stranger Things’ fifth and final season. It was a controversial turn of events that I’m going to dive right into. Yet, I predict no one wants to read my ramblings on the entire season, so instead I’m going to analyse the finale – was it a flop, as most people believe, or was it in fact underrated and unappreciated?
We all know that Stranger Things has captured this generation’s hearts, connecting with the characters and growing up with them over the last ten years. So, the expectations for the finale were high. We built it up so much, coming up with so many theories, so that when they finally gave us what we wanted, we slaughtered and tore it apart like animals. Except most of us weren’t full afterwards, satisfied that we’d had a good meal. Stranger Things gripped our short attention spans from the very beginning with a dark and sci-fi style plot, incorporating other dimensions, monsters, failed science experiments, a girl with powers – everything you could want in a show. Was the buildup, the losses and all of these seasons worth it for the final episode? Let me take you hardcore or maybe lowkey Stranger Things fans through my thoughts on this (spoilers ahead… although if you haven’t seen the finale, go watch it now!)
My first observation at the start of the episode was of Mike and El’s chemistry, which was frankly non-existent. It felt very monotone, especially in this season – their conversations were dull, with even their final goodbye not necessarily making me believe that they love each other. Another thing that bugged me over the entire season was the ChatGPT lines infused throughout. I was reminded of this in Mike and Will’s conversation at the beginning of the episode when Mike says, “Friends? No thanks. Best friends.” Um, ew. It took me back to the Disney Channel era.
The next thing that made me upset was Kali’s death. I think most viewers assumed she was a traitor, in with Vecna’s plan, but instead, we all ended up feeling sorry for her once she died. I think this twist that viewers predicted would’ve been incredible. Around halfway through the first half, we also witness Steve’s potential death. I think all of us gasped in shock. No, they wouldn’t actually do it! We thought. And they didn’t – instead, predictably, Johnathan catches him just in time. On a controversial note, I think they didn’t have the confidence to kill him, and even though we would’ve hated it, another death in their group would’ve made for a better ending. A death they could’ve used as motivation for more revenge, instead of adding people each season just to kill them. Another near-death scene was Hopper nearly killing Eleven. Now this was clever, and I can praise the Duffer Brothers for this, because I think we all believed it had happened. If it actually had, this would’ve been an insane scene. But again, no balls from the writers.
Now, coming away from complaining for a second, I want to praise Jamie Campbell Bower and Nell Fisher, the actors of Vecna and Holly Wheeler, respectively, because they both carried this season on their backs. It was the type of amazing acting that you forget that they aren’t real people, and are in fact fictional. On the topic of Vecna, his backstory saved this episode for me: the flashbacks explaining why he became who he became revealed that he was more than just a psychopath and was actually being controlled. This was so intriguing and endearing to someone who loves a thriller story (cough cough, me). And as a viewer of The First Shadow, the West End play, I loved the interconnection of it throughout this season.
After the long buildup to the last battle against Vecna, we finally arrive. Except that the final monster is alone. I think we were all disappointed when there were no demogorgons and no bats to make it an incredible fight. Now, not to diminish the big monster, as I actually thought it was cool, but this scene was supposed to be epic, and instead it was meh. I believe one of the group should’ve died in this first half – yes, Duffer brothers, you could’ve included your sad montage bit, you had time. And my question was, why didn’t Will die when Vecna did? From the start, that was my prediction, that he would be the emotional death: it started with him and ends with him. But no, nothing about that. So, it was an hour build-up before Vecna died in around 10 seconds (barely exaggerating here). I think most of us, if not all of us, after this, paused the episode to see how long was left, which was another hour (huh?) and gasped. The pace of this episode threw most of us off: the final, the big fight against Vecna and it was over in a matter of minutes. I found this quite underwhelming. One thing I did enjoy in this final battle scene was the final chopping off of Vecna’s head. I loved Joyce doing it; I loved each character’s closure with the scenes where he affected them (Robin and Steve just there for the love of the game). Now that felt powerful and epic.
Everyone is happy, Vecna is dead, and they are about to go home. But instead, this is the calm before the storm. The stupid military (who were useless to the plot as always) decided to ruin it. And El made her choice. This was the scene that I will give to the writers. It gripped my heartstrings and made us sit back on our sofas in shock. ‘Purple Rain’? Are you joking? You got your sad montage of Eleven and made us all cry in the process. I didn’t love that it was Mike she said goodbye to, and he couldn’t even say I love you one last time – the whole point of the last series for them. But it still had me blubbering like a baby.
Onto the second hour of the finale (I know). The epilogue. To start, I can commend the music selection for this episode. ‘Landslide’ is one of my favourite songs, and as soon as it came on, I wanted to cry. Now, throughout the epilogue, I had a lot of questions, including: what happened to the military? What happened to Vicky? How is Max graduating when she was in a coma for a year and a half? However, on the topic of Max, I love that she got her happy ending with Lucas – my favourite couple.
Hopper’s ending was also very satisfactory, being finally engaged to Joyce. That scene was very cute, yet I found it strange that his reaction to El’s death wasn’t as profound as Mike’s. I did love this scene; however, the little mention of them moving to Montauk, for the fans who know this show inside and out, they know that it is based on some true events in Montauk around this time.
The graduation was a fun one. Dustin copying Eddie’s speech was emotional, but overall, it was a little cringeworthy. Then to the older generations’ talk which was so reflective of life after school, moving away from your core friends. Each of their endings was sentimental and fitted with their characters. I loved it. The last part, in the basement of the Wheelers, brought tears to most of those who viewed it. The full circle of it, from season one to now. Mike’s campaign and his tale of all of their endings, including his theory of El’s. Whilst this theory was quite far-fetched, as most of us believe that Kali died way before El got sucked away into the wormhole, I can see how it can keep the spark of El’s story alive. Yet it is again the Duffer Brothers not having the balls to kill off a main character- instead, it’s up to interpretation. But I do love that fans and the party themselves have a way to cope with her death, with a theory that does have some legs. That she managed to go into Mike’s mind when the Kryptonite was active is questionable. Onto the emotional last scene of them each putting their books back and Holly’s friends then completing the full circle by playing D&D with her friends – a new generation to take over this tradition in the basement was an amazing touch. The symbolism of Mike shutting the door on his past and letting a hopeful set of teenagers restart what should’ve happened the night Will got taken. Impeccable.
So. Was it a flop? Or was it just overanalysed in the same way I have done? Picking it apart until there isn’t something to latch onto. Well, fans decided for themselves it was indeed a flop. So much so that they created their own theory of the Conformity Gate episode: secret episode 9. I think we all hoped for it. After the disappointing ending, we hoped for a twist that came from the collective minds of the fans. Yet that didn’t happen either, confirming after the documentary that it might have just been badly written. This isn’t to say that we didn’t completely overhype and overanalyse everything about this finale. Except after the hype from Part One and how well that was received, maybe there is some truth in it flopping. I believe in some aspects it did disappoint: in some of the writing, in the cowardliness about potential deaths and the underwhelming battle. However, I also believe it was a great ending for those who truly and utterly loved this show. It gave them closure and peace in that most of their favourite characters were happy, and that the story is finally finished.
Editor: Lauren Harker